Onigiri with Crunchy Ume and Mehijiki Seaweed

Mehijiki (the small, tender buds of hijiki seaweed) simmered sweet and savoury, with plenty of chopped crunchy pickled ume (karikari ume) folded in. The soft seaweed and the crisp, tangy ume make a lively rice-ball filling. The recipe makes a generous batch, so keep it in the fridge and simply mix it into warm rice whenever you want onigiri.

Ingredients (a convenient batch)

• 20 g dried mehijiki
• 140 g karikari ume (crunchy pickled ume)
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• Sesame oil, as needed
• Toasted white sesame seeds, as needed
• Warm cooked rice, as needed

Method

1. Soak the hijiki in plenty of water until soft, then drain well in a sieve.
2. Remove any stones from the ume and chop roughly.
3. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the hijiki.
4. When it is coated with oil, add the sake, mirin and soy sauce, and simmer, stirring now and then, until the liquid is gone.
5. Turn off the heat, mix in the ume and sesame seeds, and let it cool a little.
6. Mix as much as you like into warm rice, wet your hands with water and shape into rice balls.

Tips

• Adding the ume after the heat is off keeps it crunchy.
• The ume and soy sauce are salty enough: taste before adding any salt.
• Keep the filling in the fridge and eat it soon.

Karikari ume vary in saltiness and sweetness from brand to brand. If you are watching your salt, use less ume.